Cardinals outlook: Coming off the bye, Arizona looks to break a five-game skid in which it has failed to score more than 17 points in any game. The worst offensive line in football (41 sacks allowed) has hampered whichever QB is behind center. Rookie Nate Potter is expected to start at LT in place of D'Anthony Batiste and will try to do a better job protecting John Skelton, who had his third career 300-yard game two weeks ago vs. Green Bay. The O-line also hasn’t opened running lanes, as the Cards rank dead last in rushing (76.6). The defense ranks No. 2 against the pass (194.6) and 24th against the run (126.1), but the Falcons don’t run the ball well with plodding Michael Turner.

Cardinals’ key injuries:

— TE Todd Heap (knee) questionable

— QB Kevin Kolb (ribs) out

— G Adam Snyder (quad) questionable

— CB Greg Toler (hamstring) questionable

Falcons outlook: Atlanta goes for its ninth straight home win and tries to bounce back from its first loss this season. Look for the Falcons to try to establish better balance after Matt Ryan threw for 411 yards and Michael Turner was held to 15 yards on 13 carries at New Orleans. Turner averages 3.8 yards per carry, Jacquizz Rodgers 3.7. Atlanta has been terrible in short-yardage situations, and failed to convert twice from the 1-yard line vs. the Saints. WR Roddy White usually goes off at home: he’s got 60 catches for 932 yards (116.5 per game) and seven TDs in the last eight games at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons’ key injuries:

— LB Sean Weatherspoon (ankle) questionable

— S Charles Mitchell (calf) questionable

What The Linemakers are saying: This is where a loss could turn out to be a good loss for the Falcons. Who needs the weight of the ‘72 Dolphins carried into every game? Losing to the Saints last week gets that out of the way, and they can return their focus to the task at hand. They go against a good Arizona defense Sunday, but the Cards won’t be able to keep up offensively, making the Falcons a decent bet to win by double-digits. After scoring 20 or more points in their first four games -- all Cardinals wins -- Arizona hasn’t scored more than 17 in any of their last five losses, twice scoring only three points.